The library was first built in the 18th century, but the current building is the work of Venezuelan architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva, who designed it in the 1950s.

[5] A partial reopening was due in January 2013, but the health board condemned some of the new rooms and numerous books because of poor walls, faulty electricity, and fungus.

A damp problem also caused employee illness, and a flood broke out during the remodel, though no books were flood-damaged.

[2] One of the primary upgrades of the redesign included installing bookshelves within the main study halls of the library; prior to 2013, books were all locked in archives.

Despite this improvement, reports suggest that the book collection itself was not sufficiently updated and students still look elsewhere for current information.